


Responsibility

by AvandraTheMarySueSlayer



Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: Dealing With Loss, Divine manifestations, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Visions in dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 14:40:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21429865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvandraTheMarySueSlayer/pseuds/AvandraTheMarySueSlayer
Summary: After losing her foster father, Anya stumbles into the Friendly Arm Inn and manages to find Khalid and Jaheira, whom, along with Imoen, will try to provide some comfort to the broken cavalier of the Order of the Merciful Swords of Tyr.
Relationships: Jaheira/Khalid
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	Responsibility

**Author's Note:**

> Here comes the celebratory one-shot for the 700 hits on Strangeness and Charm - Shadows of Amn! This time I introduce Anya, a cavalier of Tyr who believes in justice without misconceived judgement, and in forgiveness and compassion for those who deserve, or need, a second chance. As with Kasha, I make her introduction at the moment after Gorion's death, with Imoen, Khalid and Jaheira to support her and Montaron and Xzar to... kind of stand there awkwardly waiting for the drama to be over. I have decided to make her a knight of the Merciful Swords, as their philosophy of goodness and compassion resonates better with my idea of this character (and how else can she have paladin powers anyway?) I really hope you enjoy this!

* * *

It wasn't hard for Anya to find Khalid and Jaheira. Before Gorion—no, she didn't want to think of that. She blocked the memory as best as she could and focused instead on the moment they crossed the gates of Candlekeep. He'd said his friends were a couple of half-elves; Khalid, a Calishite fighter who'd be easily recognizable by his shock of red hair, and Jaheira, a Tethyrian druid warrior with a piercing blue glare. He said they would help her if… no, she didn't want to think of it.

They were sitting close to the bar, where they had a perfect view of everyone who went up and down the stairs and everyone who came in and out of the Friendly Arm. The dark circles under their eyes gave away their exhaustion, which the woman tried to fight by shifting incessantly on her seat and drumming her fingers on the table with impatience, while the man couldn't repress yawn after yawn. Anya and her small party quickly approached them.

"Excuse me… are you Khalid and Jaheira, by any chance? Friends of Gorion, the Sage of Candlekeep?" She asked.

Khalid perked up at her question. Jaheira, however, exploded.

"Well, it was right about time! I was wondering how much longer he was going to keep us waiting until ungodsly hours, sleeping in turns, unable to even go outside for fresh air!"

"J-Jaheira my dear, p-please calm down," Khalid stammered, trying to temper his wife, "travels these days are especially dangerous. I'm s-sure they have done everything they could t-to make it here as soon as possible."

Then, the woman's feline eyes examined the group. Tall, broad-shouldered Anya with eyes an unusual shade of amber; lithe Imoen with perfect cheekbones and flashy pink garments… and two men she did not recognize; a human in green robes with facial tattoos that sent shivers down her spine, and a glaring halfling with his hand already gripping the short sword attached to his belt. She became alarmed.

"Why is Gorion not with you?"

Anya lowered her gaze and bit her lip, trying to fight back the memories, the feelings eating at her, to stay firm and sure. It was to no avail; soon, she was sobbing and wailing the loss of the only father she had ever known. Imoen put a sympathetic arm around her shoulders, standing on her tiptoes to reach them, and explained what happened that fateful night after the friends left Candlekeep.

"He told me to run…" Anya then intervened, choking back her sobs. "I didn't want to, I wanted to fight beside him, but that… man… if he was a man at all… there was something in his eyes… that golden glow… I never felt such terror in my entire life… oh, Tyr forgive me!"

She almost dropped to her knees, Imoen struggling to keep her up, and Jaheira gently led her to a seat beside her while she and Khalid digested the news of their friend's death. He was fighting back tears; she was in utter shock.

"Shhh, it's okay Anya, it wasn't your fault," Imoen whispered as she caressed her friend's short dark hair, trying to provide her some comfort.

"No, you're wrong!" Anya insisted. "That man was after me. 'Hand over your ward', he said. Two assassins attacked me even before leaving Candlekeep, that can't be a coincidence!"

Khalid and Jaheira exchange a worried look that didn't escape Imoen's quick eyes. Meanwhile, Anya kept weeping.

"Why me? Oh Tyr, why me? I am but a lowly servant, there is nothing special about me!"

"Maybe you know something 'bout this?" Imoen asked the half-elves, with a subtle edge to her tone that made it clear that she knew that they knew more than they let on.

"I'm afraid Gorion gave us no details," Jaheira replied quickly. Too quickly. "But rest assured, whoever did this shall pay. We will see to it."

"I'm worried t-that his ward is being targeted," Khalid sighed, wiping tears from his eyes. "We have a mission of our own t-to accomplish, but we shall help you find Gorion's murderer and t-take him to justice."

Jaheira turned to Anya.

"Anya, in one of his last letters, Gorion mentioned a dream you had…"

The young woman shook her head energetically.

"A dream and nothing more. I should have known as much," she responded, self-loathing seeping through her tone. "Me, a Hammer of Grimjaws?"

"But you got your holy emblem when you woke up," Imoen insisted, "you chose to become a Knight of the Merciful Sword and Tyr himself named you! I say you have to be pretty special for that."

"Then it's even worse!" Anya exploded. "He said I had a trial ahead of me, and that I had the potential to become the Thirteenth Hammer. That means I failed!"

"P-perhaps not."

Everyone turned to Khalid, expectant. Even the mage and the halfling seemed mildly interested in what he had to say next, even if just to end the drama so they could get going.

"It c-could be that the trial is still ongoing," he went on. "I have heard of such things; long and arduous processes of hard t-times and self improvement, of p-pushing through the pain, acknowledging it but n-not letting it wear you down, and becoming stronger in the end. You said you chose t-to become a Knight of the Merciful S-Swords, is that correct?"

Anya nodded, suddenly silent, her reddened eyes fixed on Khalid.

"T-then that means you empathize with those who face injustice, that you suffer for them," he continued with a warm smile. "F-failure is a part of learning. G-Gorion's is a terrible loss for us all, but your s-sorrow can give you the strength to fight harder, so one day you can bring his murderer to justice. P-perhaps that is a part of Tyr's trial all along?"

Jaheira smiled sweetly at her husband, her eyes gleaming with pride. Imoen beamed at him; she already liked the guy. Anya was at a loss for words.

"I… I hadn't thought of it that way," she admitted.

"Confidence takes time to build," Jaheira commented, her tone unusually soft, "but if the god you favor has seen potential in you, I am certain you will get far. Everyone doubts themselves from time to time, and losing those dear to us hurts, but with every fall, we become stronger. Your sensitive nature tells me much of your love for your adoptive father, and the worry you show about your duty as a paladin is prove that you are responsible and willing to own to your own failures. I think…"

Anya and Imoen stared at each other in confusion as Jaheira shot Khalid a conspiratorially smirk. He nodded, and she spoke again.

"There is definitely something special about you if a god favors you and there are assassins in your tail," she said. "As Khalid said before, we have a mission, and I would like you to lead it, if you would have us in your party."

Anya's eyes became wide as saucers.

"Lead? Me? But I don't even know the first thing about—"

"You will learn," Jaheira replied, shrugging. "And you have our full support. Gorion entrusted us with your care, were anything to happen to him. You are an adult though, and you can make your own decisions. So which will it be, Anya?"

The paladin looked around the group, then took a deep breath.

"Tell me about the mission.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I really hope you liked this small piece. Please do tell me your thoughts of it, your feedback means everything to me <3


End file.
